Problems of Forensic Sciences 2007 Vol. 70 (LXX) 135-146
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PROMETHAZINE AND OPIUM ALKALOIDS BASED ON EXPERIMENTS CARRIED OUT IN A RAT MODEL
Małgorzata ALBERT, Zofia OLSZOWY, Rafał CELIŃSKI, Joanna KULIKOWSKA
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
Streszczenie
The mechanism underlying interactions between numerous bioactive poppy straw extract compounds taken simultaneously seems to be complex. The effect of opium alkaloids is modified by promethazine added to "compote" (Polish home-made poppy straw brew) by drug addicts. The aim of the present experimental study was to determine toxicokinetic parameters of opiates in "compote" enriched with promethazine and in non-enriched "compote". The experimental model was male SPD rats. In their investigations, the authors employed poppy straw extracts supplied to the Department of Forensic Toxicology, Medical University of Silesia, as evidence in cases of drug offences. Initially, the LD50 dose of acute intraperitoneal toxicity for poppy straw extracts with (kp) and with out promethazine supplementation (k) was calculated with reference to morphine. Based on blood analysis of rats divided into groups administered "k" and "kp" extracts at a dose of 1/2 LD50, as well as a dose of standard morphine with concentration corresponding to that in the extract (8.56 mg/ml 0.9% NaCl), basic toxicokinetic parameters of the opiates were determined. Identification and quantitative examination of morphine, codeine, monoacetylmorphine, papaverine, narceine and promethazine were performed using the high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique. The results of the present study allowed us to conclude that in acute expo sure to the xenobiotic, the poppy straw extract enriched with promethazine shows a higher toxicity as compared to the extract with no promethazine added (LD50 of 83.8 mg/kg vs. 57.3 mg/kg, respectively). Promethazine supplementation to poppy straw extract (0.25 mg/ml of the "compote") significantly changes the kinetics of the (simultaneously taken) opiates.
Słowa kluczowe
Opiates; Promethazine; Interactions; LC-MS.